Senators’ Yet To Fulfil Pledge To Donate December Salaries To Kaduna Bombing Victims

The pledge made by the 109 senators in the National Assembly to the victims of the December 3 accidental bombing of Kaduna villagers by the Nigerian Army has not been fulfilled.

This was as the victims raised concern over the security situation in Tudun Biri, adding that the military formation they were told would be established had not happened.

The Senators in the wake of the incident had promised to donate their December 2023 salaries to the victims.

The accident bombing by the troops hunting terrorists claimed the lives of over 100 innocent residents of the Tundun Biri community in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The pledge was made on behalf of the Senators by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, during a condolence visit to Kaduna in December, where he said the 109 senators would donate their December salary of N1m, amounting to N109m to the victims.

He said, “We are here to represent the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and indeed, other senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to sympathise with you and condole with you for the lost lives and those who sustained injuries in respect of the unfortunate incident that happened at Tundun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna some few days ago.

“It is on this note that we have decided that we are going to donate our salaries for a full month to be given to those who were affected by this incident. So, a total of N109m will be made available to the governor to be channelled to help bring succour to those affected by the unfortunate incident at Tudun Biri.”

However, the Senators are yet to fulfil the pledge a few days before the end of January.

Speaking on why they are yet to fulfil their promise, the spokesman for the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, said the delay was merely procedural.

According to him, “Any noticeable delay in the delivery of the Senate’s pledge to the victims of the unfortunate Kaduna State incident is merely procedural.

“We pledged December monthly salaries and these would come in January. We are still in January. Whatever commitment the Senate made to the Nigerian people shall be religiously fulfilled.”

The medium also gathered that others who promised the victims are yet to redeem themselves.

Among those who pledged donations to the victims were the Northern Caucus of the House of Representatives, which pledged N350m projects for the area and a donation of N45m to the victims. The Northern States Governors Forum also pledged N180m.

Idris Dahiru, who lost 30 members of his family to the incident, while speaking with newsmen, said the victims had yet to receive anything from those who pledged donations.

He said, “We are eager to see development in our area after the unfortunate incident but not yet.

“We are expectant. We are not happy that some well-meaning Nigerians who promised donations publicly refused to redeem their pledges.

“We were informed that some of those who announced their donations publicly, on realising that they were using the funds to rebuild Tudun Biri, declined to redeem their pledges. Those in that category should come out and let the world know that they decline to redeem their pledges.

“The security situation in Tudun Biri is still a concern. We were told that a military formation would be established but that has not happened. There is still a security threat here in Tudun Biri and the earlier the government acted on the promise (military formation) the better for the community.”

Another victim of the incident, Aliyu Yakubu, told newsmen that the village had yet to witness any development, except for the “clearance of the road” leading to Tudun Biri.

Ibrahim noted that they (victims) had yet to receive any funds from the government except relief materials, including foodstuffs.

He said, “Currently, the construction of the central mosque is ongoing here in our village. But since the clearing of the road a few days before Christmas and when men in military uniforms came to survey where they would establish (a military) formation, nothing is happening in Tudun Biri at the moment.

“We were told that many who made pledges could not redeem their pledges.”